Lawsuit Over Mechanics Pay
AMT received a press release this past Monday. It discussed legal action being taken to increase mechanics pay at Great Lakes Aviation.
There is a dispute going on between Great Lakes Aviation and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) over pay raises for the mechanics working at Great Lakes.
Since the press release was distributed by Great Lakes Aviation, I thought it would be about how the company was pursuing legal action to fight pay raises sought by the union.
Boy was I wrong. Instead, the company is taking legal action in order to give its mechanics MORE MONEY! The union is contesting the company’s proposed pay raises for various reasons including hoping to increase union membership at the facility (there is currently an open shop agreement, and only 10 percent of employees are union members).
You can click here to read the full story.
So, what are your thoughts on this strange situation at Great Lakes Aviation?
Thanks for reading,
Joe Escobar
I have said it before — unions are no longer the bastions of labor power they once were. They have turned into money-greedy bureaucracies — out to protect their own assets, not that of their members. The union’s focus seems to be more about getting new members, not on serving the members they already have.
Dan
A&P/IA
Strange situation indeed. I don’t understand why the union doesn’t try to de-certify itself considering they don’t have majority support from the mechanics.
Wow…I remember being a mechanic at UAL and watching how wasteful the IAM was then. That was the main reason I left after a year and a half. Everyone said I was crazy for leaving (for corporate) as I was “set for life” working for the majors. Unions have a place in this world but I their survival in the big business arena hinges on their flexibility.
Its not amazing that there is only 10% membership in the IAM, its that’s there any membership at all. It seems to me that Dan has it right, all the union is interested in is protecting and covering its assets.
My instructor last year said that unions reward mediocrity. In this case, the IAM only seems to reward incompetence.
After reading the full story, I only have more ?’s. Why is there not better comms between all 3 parties- membership, union and company. Where is the national union office folks? They should be camped out on the door step on the local pres of 143 training and showing this person leadership. Are the dues for this local a % of pay or a set amount? Is the union holding out for notaxable items to be talked about? Unions are made up of the membership it is there union to do what they will, ie: get active, be heard, work toward a better benfits package and company (safe,profitable,happy customers) though negotiations. Sure more money is always good, but is the right money for the long term aspect of the employee?
I am some one that has been on both sides of the fence union/company. The company is wanting to pay more to retain its work force, understood. I hope that the law suite was after comms with the national IAM office. Press grabs in our industry are not a way to make customers happy. Customers want to know that the airplane is safe, clean and maintained-operated by people that are knowledgeable, well trained and most of all can work together.
JD
A&P with IA
Unions like the IAM never have been in touch with technical employees at the airlines. They are clearly more interested in swelling the dues-paying ranks than safety or professionalism. When a union becomes a drag on its membership, such as is illustrated by this story, then clearly its time has passed. Apparently, the long-advertised mechanic shortage is coming at last. Nice to see that at least one air carrier recognizes what it has to do to keep experienced staff.
I have never been a believer in hearing only one side of a story, somehow I am sure IAM has a different take than that being represented. If this company is so caring why would it have ever got itself into this situation in the first place.
Great Lakes should shut down then re-open under another name and be totally union free.
Perfect example of Union “leadership.” They represent the intrests of 10% of the work force but act like they speak for everyone. Until the union leaders have “real jobs” other than collecting money from hard working people it will never change. I have worked Union and non union shops. I will NEVER work or a union again. From now on when they get voted in, I leave, that simple. There is no reason to go thru that ever again. Last union wanted me to go on strike for 48 cents. Strike Fund? what strike fund. That was spent on hotel bills, dinners and “entertainment” for union officers.
If you are in a union ASK TO SEE THE BOOKS!
Its your right! Its your money.
Joe, like last month’s Mexican repair facility story you are again only telling managements side of the story. Under NLRB and the Nat’l Mediation Board when they are being organized everything will remain status quo; working conditions, benefits AND wages. This rule is in place to prevent companys from trying to influence an election. So Joe, I have to wonder, if this is such a great company why are they offering a mechanics pay raise at this particular time? Hey I know, why don’t you show Great Lakes management your story from last month, they don’t have Unions in Mexico.
You are correct the union does reward mediocrity (at best) but more often it sticks up for the people who will not, do not or cannot perform at the level expected of them by the company and their peers. Obviously the agreement between the IAM and Great Lakes addresses compensation and pay therefore it is probably a “violation” of the contract to even try to offer the wage increase for any reason, even if the company is doing it to retain qualified personnel. I think the union (IAM) has a problem with Great Lakes giving the raise simply due to the fact that they cannot go and pound their chest in front of the entire 10% of the workforce that are actually dues paying members in their union about how they got the wage increase for the employees from the company. Basically, the IAM has no teeth and Great Lakes, in a maneuver to keep its good workers, beat the IAM to the punch.
[…] rali@paidcontent.org (Rafat Ali) wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptAMT received a press release this past Monday. It discussed legal action being taken to increase mechanics pay at Great Lakes Aviation. There is a dispute going on between Great Lakes Aviation and the International Association of … […]
Is this Blog a part of the FOX network?
Know the process—don’t be fooled by “Chicken Little”
interesting problem. It goes to show that the only place a union does some good is when you deal with the government or a government contractor.
I have been in aviation 22 years. In all that time the discussion has come up about
1) What do we call an aircraft mechanic?
2) What’s more important or has the greatest impact on the ability of an aircraft to fly, a mechanic or a pilot?
3) Are we skilled or unskilled labor?
4) And so on.
In my 22 years Pilot’s have receive a steady increase in the amount they are compensated for there job. I on the other hand have gotten very little pay increase through out the years. At certain points I have lost money and worked my way back to the point I was before. I have had multiple years when I have been told because of the economic situation that I would not get an increase of any kind. I am not talking about 9/11. I left this point in time out of this point of view. Where I am working Pilot’s make well over $100,000 per year. It’s sad that not one of the mechanics makes that kind of money. NOT ONE? I don’t think one or the other is more important than the other (Pilot’s verse mechanic). I have been told that I will be going to a salary type of pay in the next month. Going to salary verse an hourly pay will mean that I will get $15,000 less per year. Here we go again!
The pilot by the end of his/her career is set. They have had the money to invest in many different areas. Like IRAs, land, business, stocks & bonds, and so on. The mechanic has had just enough to stay out of the poor house.
Mechanics work inside and outside; they work through sunny weather, rainy weather, Sleet, snow and ice. Through hot days/nights and cold days/nights. In the morning, afternoon, evening, night and it starts all over again.
I keep hearing the same thing over and over by management “Why is it so had to find a mechanic with experience”? The days of a person working as an Aircraft mechanic because he/she enjoy it is over. Young people looking to a career are not looking at the aviation mechanic field and you can’t blame them. I have a son and I have told him not to even think about working on aircraft.
A mechanic is expected to be an expert on all FARs that pertain to them and there work place, S/Bs, ADs, OSHA, AS9100, hazmat, repair station manual, Quality manual, the aircraft they work on, the sub systems on the aircraft they work which has it’s own manuals, and so on . I remember an article on the AMT web site (http://www.amtonline.com/) “Is there a doctor in the house?” Just think of the amount of people and there well being that has hinged on a mechanic doing his/her job correctly! If you stop and think about this it could be over whelming.
When is the industry going to wake up? When we have no qualified people to repair an aircraft?
Thank you,
An Aircraft mechanic
It started with the beginning of aviation in America. Everyone has heard of the Wright brothers. Can anyone remember the name of the first Mechanic. and when world war 1, 2, Korea and Vietnam produce so many flying aces.we know the names of the pilots but who are the mechanics that made there aircraft flyable? when an airliner lands who do the passengers remember? the mechanic that made it flyable or the pilot at the controls.I’ve been in military and civilian aviation for 32 years and have made significant contributions but no one will ever who am.I reluctantly became a union member when working for United Express. Igave them moey every week. do the union know who I am? Unions today are obsolete, they just don’t realize it yet. I now work for a major corperation that has union shops and nonunion shops.people who have transferred to the union shops are amazed at how anything gets done.maybe we need to collectively blow our own horn to the public and let them that we are an important part of getting passengers from point A to point B safely. thanks,a jet engine maintenace technician
It’s an interesting article. I was an IAM member for 2 years at United Airlines. I’m not surprised at the backward attitude they are exhibiting. At United, ramp personnel topped out at $20.00 per hour, while mechanics started out at $17.00. This is the main reason that the mechanics voted out the IAM (Idiots Against Mechanics). This situation could be a golden opportunity for them to get other benefits for the mechanics as well. Instead, they are cutting their own throats by fighting a pay raise for the people they are supposed to represent. There are still good unions out there, but the IAM is not one of them. They need to go away.
Yeah I remember the iam doing virtually the same thing once at nwa. It basically comes down to if they don’t negotiate it they don’t want it. I basically have had it with airline unions. The RLA takes any kind of teeth out of being in a union anyway because the NMB dictates when you can be released to strike and they ALWAYS favor the company. In the case of the iam they are about the worst with the twu being at the bottom IMHO. Even though I had high hopes for AMFA and they basically made some fatal mistakes. I hear the mechanics at FedEx are trying to recruit the teamsters I really advise you to think twice about it. Nwa made an example out of us and spent great money and influence to bust amfa and I know that Fred Smith would not hesitate to do the same to you guys at FedEx. You guys better think outside the box you got about the best deal in aviation today as far as benefits and pay. Just my 2 cents..Beleve me good paying jobs in this industry are virtually gone and it is too damn easy to outsource and the faa just turns a blind eye to it. Until something happens of course.